Under John's furious, bloodshot gaze, a Slytherin boy with a slightly twisted face stepped out from the crowd first, standing behind George and Fred.
John knew this boy, a fourth-year student who always worked the hardest, diligent and eager to learn, often staying after hours to watch John at his workbench, asking questions in preparation for next year's O.W.L. exams.
He was another unfortunate one, among the lowest ranks within Slytherin House, one of those students who had a "pure" bloodline but lived in poverty.
John never would have thought that for the sake of a small bit of money, the boy would actually stand with George and Fred.
But with him taking the lead, those who had been hesitating finally couldn't hold back anymore.
One, two, three...
More and more people began moving toward George and Fred's side until, in the end, they formed a solid wall that completely blocked the doorway.
Of course, not everyone was so shameless.
Among the crowd, a third-year Hufflepuff slipped quietly out the door while everyone's attention was still fixed on John.
George and Fred didn't notice this at all. Their faces were full of smugness. George winked provocatively at John and said, "John, you see that? Everyone disagrees with you. Just like that Eastern proverb Link once mentioned, what was it again?"
George looked at Fred thoughtfully, and Fred quickly supplied, "The one that goes, 'Those who follow the Way have many allies; those who lose it have few.'"
"Yes! That's it!" George slapped his thigh. "So we're the righteous ones now, John. What else have you got to say?"
At this moment, John's face had lost its earlier rage. His expression was cold, his eyes scanning across George and the others as if to carve each of their faces into his memory.
He never imagined that the same coworkers who had worked alongside him, cursed George and Fred as "stingy red-haired gits," would so easily throw away their conscience when faced with a dispute over profit.
But on second thought, he realized it made sense.
He'd known all along that George and Fred only wanted submissive, obedient workers, there was never any place here for people with real backbone.
Even he himself, when first applying for the job, hadn't exactly behaved like a man of integrity.
Still, John considered himself better than these people in one crucial way, he had something they didn't, a bottom line.
Not far away, George and Fred were still waiting for John's answer.
They seemed to be enjoying this feeling of ganging up on someone, so they didn't rush him.
But John had already made up his mind.
"Haah…"
He let out a long sigh. His shoulders slumped, muscles relaxing, as if he had given up.
Just when everyone thought he was about to submit and let their guard down, his right hand suddenly flicked, and a handful of dark brown pellets flew out.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The pellets burst open as they hit the ground, releasing thick, foul-smelling clouds of greenish-brown smoke that shot into the air.
"Bloody hell! Dungbombs! Quick, use Whirlwind Clean-up! Cough! Cough!"
George immediately recognized what they were and shouted in fury.
Unfortunately, the students behind him, those who had chosen to side with him out of greed, didn't have much fight in them.
The stench hit them hard. Eyes watering, coughing violently, they couldn't even open their mouths to cast counterspells. They ignored George and Fred completely and scattered in panic.
George and Fred hadn't expected much from them anyway. They gritted their teeth against the stench, drawing their wands to fight back, but John didn't give them the chance.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A red and a gray flash shot through the smoke, striking their targets precisely, George's wand flew from his hand, and Fred froze in place.
Having done that, John quickly tied a wet cloth over his mouth and nose, doing the same for the Hufflepuff boy he was carrying, and charged through the smoke out of the classroom.
Outside, some of the students who had escaped earlier were already preparing to seal off the classroom with boards.
They were experienced at this, having just done the same thing a few days ago for another room contaminated by dungbombs.
The only difference was that the stench in that last one had been darker green and even worse.
As for George, Fred, and John still being inside? They didn't care. In their minds, inhaling a little stink wouldn't kill anyone, it would just "teach those troublemakers a lesson."
Yes, in their eyes, John was now one of the "bad guys."
Even equivalent to George and Fred.
When they suddenly saw this "bad guy" burst out of the classroom holding a small boy, they were startled, stepping back instinctively.
But that reaction didn't last long. Once they realized John was alone, and carrying an injured boy, they remembered George and Fred's earlier warning, if the boy was taken to the hospital wing, the whole workshop would be exposed to the professors, and they'd all lose their income.
The crowd began to close in again, blocking John's path.
John, now devoid of any faith or goodwill toward his former coworkers, gave a cold laugh and demanded, "George and Fred, those two red-haired devils, are down. And you're still blind to the truth?"
The crowd's expressions darkened.
A few older students stepped forward, trying to reason with him.
"John, we've already sent for someone who knows healing spells. The kid will be fine. Why destroy our livelihoods over this?"
"Yeah, John. You pity the boy, sure, but who's pitying us? You're poor too, you know how it is. Without this job, we can't even afford to stay in school!"
"And this is after Mr. Link Flamel invested in us! Before he became a school governor, guys like us, poor and untalented, never had a chance to learn alchemy or potions!"
"That's right, John, listen..."
"Shut up!" John roared, cutting them off. "Being human means having a bottom line and a conscience. If you've already thrown yours away, then don't blame me for what happens next!"
He raised his wand again, and the crowd flinched.
But this time, they didn't scatter. They stood firm, blocking the corridor.
Seeing this, a trace of bitterness flashed in John's eyes.
He had only been bluffing, hoping to scare them off.
Now that the bluff had failed, he knew he might not make it out, not with the boy in his arms.
After all, two fists couldn't beat twenty hands.
As for more dungbombs, he had none left.
Those few he'd just thrown were his entire stash, rejects he'd scavenged from the dungbomb workshop, too few to make a real stockpile.
"Whew…"
John took several deep breaths. The bitterness in his eyes faded, replaced by determination.
Just as he'd said, being human means having conscience and a bottom line.
Even if his chances were slim, he would still try.
So long as he could face his own heart without shame, that was enough.
With that thought, a red glow rippled from the tip of John's wand.
Across from him, the others finally gave up on talking and drew their own wands in panic.
———
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hogwarts castle, Link and Cedric were strolling down a corridor.
This corridor was much like the one George and Fred occupied, lined with abandoned classrooms and rarely used passages.
But unlike the twins' area, this one was buzzing with activity.
Dozens of house-elves in Hogwarts uniforms were busily cleaning, magically installing furniture and equipment into the classrooms on both sides.
Walking through the bustle, Cedric finally frowned after a long silence.
"Link, I really like your student work project, but isn't it a bit early to start building? And you're using Hogwarts' house-elves, isn't that a little…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but Link understood and sighed.
"I know it goes against Hufflepuff principles to have house-elves do this, but there's no helping it, time is tight."
Cedric frowned deeper.
He already knew the full story from Link a few days ago, he understood the purpose of this student work project and fully supported it.
He just couldn't understand why Link was in such a rush.
The school year had only started a week ago.
"Anyway," Link waved off the topic, "Cedric, how's that thing I asked you to do?"
Cedric nodded, a smile finally appearing.
"All done. Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick are on board. They think your project not only helps students afford advanced courses, but also trains them in real-life skills, preparing them for life after graduation."
He glanced at Link. "But their approval alone isn't enough. If Dumbledore and the other two Heads don't agree, it's all for nothing."
Link replied, "I know. You don't have to worry about Snape, you know our relationship. If I ask, he'll say yes. As for Dumbledore, well, he's too busy with the Dark Lord and the Ministry to care. To keep Hogwarts stable, he won't oppose it, even if he doesn't openly support it."
"And Professor McGonagall?" Cedric asked. "That stubborn old professor's the real hurdle. How are you planning to convince her?"
Link raised an eyebrow, smiling.
"How else? By appealing to reason and emotion, of course."
Cedric didn't look convinced, he thought Link was joking.
But before he could say anything else, a flustered figure came rushing toward them.
"L-Link! The black workshop, something happened! John, George and Fred, they..."
The messenger was panting, incoherent, but Link's smile only grew brighter.
He raised a hand to stop him and turned to Cedric.
"See? Looks like the perfect chance to convince Professor McGonagall just arrived. Let's go. And you,"
He turned back to the messenger, "Please run back and tell Professor McGonagall."
The messenger's face fell in dismay, but when Link tossed him two shining Galleons, joy instantly replaced it.
———
Ten minutes later, Link and Cedric arrived at George and Fred's black workshop.
The corridor was utter chaos.
Students were groaning and writhing on the floor, and even more had gathered around John in a tense circle.
Cedric panicked and opened his mouth to shout for everyone to stop, but Link stopped him.
Link knew perfectly well, the students were already beyond reasoning.
In this state, they wouldn't even listen to a professor, let alone a prefect or student leader.
So instead of shouting and embarrassing themselves, it was better to end things decisively.
Humm!
A massive wave of magical power erupted. The air turned heavy with curse energy, pressing down hard until everyone, John included, was forced flat to the ground.
Panic spread through the crowd. They struggled, until they saw who was walking toward them.
Link.
"Link, please, listen! We weren't trying to hurt John, he attacked us first!"
A senior student shouted from the corner, voice trembling.
He was terrified. Everyone knew John was Link's roommate.
Even if most believed George and Fred's claim that their relationship wasn't close, now that it had come to this, who wouldn't be scared?
Link ignored the excuses, walking straight through the crowd until he stopped before John.
John actually didn't look too bad, a few bruises on his face and arms, no serious bleeding.
It seemed even in their anger, the students had shown restraint, they knew that if John was seriously injured, things would go too far.
After checking and confirming that John wasn't badly hurt, Link finally let out a breath.
John, meanwhile, managed to look up through the crushing pressure. He shifted, revealing the small boy he had been shielding beneath him.
"Link," John said hoarsely, "take him to the hospital wing, if you're late, he'll be disfigured!"